The present invention relates to an image sensing device and a recording/reproduction device such as an electronic still camera and a video camera.
There have been proposed compact cameras using silver-salt films with a collapsible lens barrel. Compact cameras are designed to extend the barrel outwardly to a photographable position where the cameras are operable to take a picture when a power supply is turned-on, while retracting the barrel to a retracted position, or collapse position, when the power is turned-off, thus providing portability. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view showing a camera having such collapsible or retractable barrel, wherein the barrel is illustrated as retracted. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 60 denotes an operation lever for opening and closing a barrier (not shown). A user operates this operation lever 60 to open the barrier connected.
However, such cameras keep a collapsible barrel extended out during powered-on, so that the barrel is ready to be broken during the it is extended out.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the aforementioned problem involved in the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image sensing apparatus comprising:
a driver device moving an image sensing optical system to image sensing and non image sensing regions; and
an external operation device that voluntarily selects a first mode in which the optical system is in the image sensing region or a second mode in which the optical system is positioned in the non image sensing region by an external operation, wherein the first mode and the second mode are different from an OFF mode.
The image sensing apparatus constructed above positions the optical system in the non image sensing region even when the apparatus is powered up, in a case where an electronic finder is being OFF""ed, or images are being reproduced, for examples. In such cases, it does not matter that the optical system is in the non image sensing region, and placing the optical system in the non image sensing region can prevent it from being broken accidentally.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.